Charming Kyushu 2016 Part 1

The decision about where to go for our year-end vacation was usually left to the last minute but this time round was an exception. We knew at the beginning of the year that it would be Fukuoka and we managed to book our flights way back in the beginning of the year.

So, after 7 years, we are back in Japan.

These are the different lodging that we put up in over the course of the 9 days we were in Kyushu. We began our journey from Fukuoka city with a night at Canal City Fukuoka Washington Hotel.

We stayed for 2 nights in Nagasaki at the Hotel Monterey Nagasaki.

When we were in Kumamoto, our accommodation was with ANA Crowne Plaza Kumamoto New Sky.

We drove east wards and in Beppu, we put up in Beppu Kamenoi Hotel for 2 nights.

For our final 2 nights, we were back in Fukuoka city and we had Hotel Nikko Fukuoka to rest in.

All the rooms that we had stayed in were spacious, to say the least. There was enough room for us to move around and more importantly, for me to organise our luggage. The long baths in the restrooms meant that we could relax and have that much deserved soak after the many activities or long drives.

I usually leave the blog entry on food till the last but for this trip, I am going to begin with them. :)

Day 1: Food on board SQ 656 and back.

 There are western and Japanese meals to choose from and we tried both. Pretty decent food and their serving were huge. I had to get my fix for Bloody Mary - a must every flight. :)

Day 2: Lunch at the restaurant at Yoshinogari Historical Park. Daddy had steak while C and I ate noodles.

Day 2: Dinner at Ichiran Canal City Hakata

The broth was thick and exceptionally flavourful. There was a choice for the degree of "hardness" we want our noodles to be in and we could also decide on how thick we wanted the noodles to be served in. Eating at Ichiran was an experience in itself (which I would blog about in the entry where I talk about the activities we had done.)

Day 2: Supper

Food that one has to get our hands on when one is in Japan. :)

Day 3: Breakfast at St. Marc's Cafe in Fukuoka City

We wanted to head out early but realised almost all the cafes operate from 8 in the morning. So after a quite breakfast, we drove out to Kanagawa.

Day 3: Lunch at Manei-Do in Kanagawa.

 These are the two top-sellers! The wait was about 15 to 20 minutes but it was worth every bit of that time. The rice was soft, fluffy and tasty. The children loved it so much, we had seconds.

Day 3: Dinner at Chinatown in Nagasaki. 

This is the famous dish - Nagasaki Champon. They have it in dry and wet. We ordered both to try. The children went with ramen and finished up all of their noodles.

Day 4: Breakfast at Hotel Monterey Nagasaki.

A quick breakfast before we headed out for the day. The spread was relatively good and needless to say, the food was delicious. C's favourite was the potato salad. 

Day 4:Lunch at Clover Garden Nagasaki.

A quaint cafe serving their local dishes: Turkish rice with pasta. We went for their curry rice and pork cutlet.

Day 5: Lunch at Kumamoto (Day 5)

It was located along a shopping street and one would easily miss it if not for the steaming hot buns just outside. The ramen here came highly recommended on Trip Advisor but we didn't know till we started eating. 

 Day 4: Dinner at ANA Crowne Plaza Kumamoto

 We decided to settle dinner in the hotel and what a feast it turned out to be. I think the children enjoyed their beef the most as they each had a hot plate where they could sizzle their beef slices. Aunt Ven's jaws dropped open when she saw her gigantic plate of tempura. As for the Daddies, they learned that there were 3 different ways of savouring the eel rice. Well, give me cold soba noodles any day.

 Day 5: Lunch at Arao

The guide who was with us directed us to a shopping mall where we had our lunch at the foodcourt. We knew we were in trouble when we received our food - the serving was way too large for us to finish. We were definitely fooled by the people around us who managed to clean everything off their plates. 

Day 5: Dinner at Toyotsune in Beppu

 We knew we had chanced upon a gem when we saw that this place was popular with the locals. We were walking down the streets exploring the area around the hotel when we came to Toyotsune. It was crowded but as it was late, the wait for our seats came shortly after.

Day 6: Dinner at Beppu

Day 8: Lunch at Moby Dick in Marinoa City Fukuoka

Western food and again generous servings. How is it possible that the Japanese stay so slim despite eating so much?

Day 8: Dinner at Marinoa City.

I can't remember the name of the restaurant though. :( but Daddy commented that their pork cutlet was good. 

Day 8: breakfast before heading out to pick mandarin oranges.

Day 8: Lunch at Tenjin Underground City malls

 sashimi! Can't get enough of them actually!

Day 8: Dinner at Tonkotsu Ramen

The original plan was to just make an innocent trip to 7-eleven but some how we ended up here. 

Maybe it was because we were on holiday and hence the jovial mood but in all honesty, the food that we had were delicious. Even the pre-packed meals in their convenience stores were good! While some meals were pricey, we also had our fair share of dining at their local eateries. 

But again, who doesn't love Japanese food? :)